Solace
by labrat love
Summary: my thoughts on how the boys would get toghether on the show...Nick calls Greg for company after a troubling case, it's just subtle enough to be plausible


**Okay here is my thought on how the writers of CSI would go about getting these two together...**

"Thanks man, I really need the company right now" Nick said as he let Greg into this apartment. Greg entered the living room, setting the six-pack he was carrying on the coffee table. Then he turned and looked at is friend. Nick's body showed signs of the stress he had endured. The the wrinkles in the corners of his eyes weren't from a grin and his shoulders sagged visibly. Greg couldn't stand the sight of Nick looking so upset, out of reflex he threw his arms around the other man, and held him in an embrace. Nick let out a sob of relief and anguish.

"It's alright Nicky you did what you could, you're only human, and hey at least the sicko isn't going to hurt anyone again." Nick didn't respond to his friends words of comfort or the soothing hand on his back. Instead he stared off into the corner of the dim room.

ERLIER THAT NIGHT

_This is it, all the evidence points to this spot, oh God I hope we get there in time._

Nick and Sara has been on a particularly rough case together. Two young children had been kidnapped from their bedroom in the middle of the night, and now it was up to them to find them. After a note had been found saying the children were alive, but not for much longer, Nick had worked tirelessly to figure out what had happened.

It turned out the kids were abducted by their mothers estranged brother in some sort of deranged plea for attention. He was holding them in a storage unit three blocks from his house. The Tahoe's tires screeches in the parking lot as they arrived on the scene. As they approached the door they heard gunshots. Sara called for backup and an ambulance as Nick broke open the door. The unbalanced man stood above the children smoking gun still in hand. He looked up and raised his gun at the CSI in the doorway. Sara raised and fired first, he slumped to the ground. Then the two of them raced to the children on the floor. Both had been wounded very badly and were loosing a lot of blood. All Nick and Sara could do was apply first aid and wait for the ambulance. The little boy Sara was comforting had only been shot in the shoulder and was in better shape than his sister Nick cradled. She was getting paler by the second.

"C'mon sweetie hang on just a little more, it's gonna be okay, you're gonna be fine."

After an eternity the ambulance arrived and the children were taken to the ER. It was too late to save the little girl though. She died before she got to the hospital, her brother was in critical condition, but was upgraded to stable by the time they left. Back in the lab Nick was a mess, Grissom sent him home and gave him the next night off. Finding himself unable to stand the silence he called Greg, who arrived very shortly after he called.

Now they sat on the couch in Nicks apartment, Nick with his head in his hands, Greg just being there. Three hours later Greg was asleep on Nicks couch.

"Nah man if your tired you can go"

"No Nick, I'm staying, you need someone here."

Nick almost smiled seeing him asleep like that. He took off his friends shoes and got him a pillow and a blanket. Then he watched him sleep for a while, the younger man's chest rising and falling gently with each breath. Greg's dedication made him a good CSI as well as a good friend, Nick was more grateful than Greg could imagine. Having him here, telling him things would turn out for the best, even just having him asleep on his couch, proved that there was decency and mercy and compassion left in the world. Feeling the best he had all night Nick got comfortable and closed his eyes...only for a moment...just to relax.

Nick woke up with a wince, he had fallen asleep on his couch and could now add sore back to his list of miseries. He attempted to stretch, something however was keeping him from that goal. As he woke up more fully he realized why he couldn't move. Greg was asleep on his chest. They must have shifted during the night because Nick now had the pillow and they were both covered in the blanket. Not wanting to disturb the man that had kept him sane hours ago, Nick settled down and got comfortable again. He rested his hands on Greg's back, and sighed, then almost as an afterthought he ever so gently kissed Greg's forehead.


End file.
